The leader of a super-inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Heywood and Rochdale has made a direct call to Advertiser readers to contact her.

MP Ann Coffey said she wanted to speak to child sex abuse victims, their families and anyone who could help her come up with recommendations to prevent a repeat of the grooming scandal that shamed the town.

It comes after 14 men were jailed in three separate trials for tricking vulnerable youngsters into thinking they cared for them before subjecting them to a catalogue of sordid sexual abuse.

Since the first trial in 2012 it emerged that police and social services knew youngsters were being groomed for sex, but failed to intervene because they thought they were old enough to consent to the abuse they were experiencing.

Ms Coffey, a former social worker, has been tasked by Greater Manchester's police and crime commissioner Tony Lloyd to see if agencies employed to protect teens have changed their attitudes to sex abuse victims since a series of damning reports were published which heavily criticised them for not doing more.

She has now penned a letter to the Heywood Advertiser appealing for those people to come forward.

She said: “In Greater Manchester, we have all been horrified by the sexual exploitation of young girls in our community by groups of men.

“One of the key concerns from victims and their families was that they felt that they were not listened to and were not taken seriously.

“I am interested in hearing from Greater Manchester victims, their families, young people, schools, faith and church groups and the wider community about what you think needs to be done to help communities, the police and other services to better protect our young people.”

To get in touch with Ms Coffey, email coffeya@parliament.uk or write to Ann Coffey MP, House of Commons, Westminster SW1A OAA.